Monday, July 14, 2014

A Beautiful Thought (Beautiful #5) by Alicia Rae with Giveaway, Excerpt, Playlist, 10 Facts About The Beautiful Series & Review

Title: A Beautiful Thought

Author: Alicia Rae

Genre: New Adult
Contemporary Romance

Publish Date: July 14th 2014

Cover Design: Okay Creation Sarah Hansen

~Synopsis~

As a physical sports therapist, Gail Bennett is
accustomed to working with gorgeous athletes every day, but after falling for a
few of these attractive men, she has been left heartbroken one too many times.
When Gail’s hours at work are unexpectedly cut, she must find a way to continue
helping her parents pay for her sister’s education. Reluctantly following her
best friend’s advice, Gail takes on a roommate with the one man she has been
avoiding since the first time she laid eyes on him.

Damon Johnson loves a challenge, and he is not the type
of man to back down when he wants something. From the first moment he meets
Gail for dinner, he feels an inexplicable pull between the two of them. In his
determination to have her, he finds himself helping her in any way he can.

Can Damon break through all the barriers Gail has so
carefully placed around her heart and prove that he’s different? Or will Gail’s
reservations keep her from falling in love?

Purchase Links

My nerves were now out of control with
anticipation of seeing Damon for the first time since meeting him at Pearl’s
party.

A waitress appeared at my side. “What
can I get you to drink, hon?”

I rotated to face her, and I chose the
first drink that came to the front of my mind. “A screwdriver, please.”

“Going right for the good stuff.” She
grinned. “Give me just a few, and I’ll be back.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

Within minutes, the waitress promptly
returned with my drink. I sipped on it while watching the baseball game on a
flat screen hanging from the ceiling. Oh-so slowly, the tension in my body
dulled. At least, that was the case until the second my eyes caught sight of
Damon striding through the front double doors. He was wearing a white collared
dress shirt with the sleeves cuffed at his forearms. His dark denim jeans had a
light-colored stitching.

My pulse pumped uncontrollably as he
approached the same woman at the front counter, and he offered her a friendly
smile. The young blonde briefly spoke to him before pointing my way.

Damon spun around, searching the crowd.
When his eyes met mine, he revealed a heart-melting smile that defined the
curve of his strong cheekbones. I was pretty sure my heart faltered for a few
beats before kicking into an uneven rhythm. I forced myself to swallow deeply
as he began to close the distance between us. His stride was composed,
radiating strength and confidence. His brown hair was shorter than I
remembered, and his tanned honey skin contrasted his soft blue eyes, making
them appear calm and alluring. It was a strikingly hot mix.

I stood to greet him. My knees felt
weak, but I ignored the sensation as I smiled shyly. “Hello, Damon.” I kept it
short and sweet, so I could not lose control of my voice.

“Nice to see you again, Gail,” he
replied, not missing a beat.

The deep throatiness of his tone sent
awareness trickling down my spine. I resisted a shiver at the sound.

I gestured to the chairs adjacent to us.
“Shall we?”

“Of course.”

After taking our seats, my adrenaline
kicked into overdrive. I didn’t have the slightest clue how to get this
conversation rolling, so I began with something simple. “Would you care for
something to eat or drink?”

“Sure.” He glanced down at my drink, and
then back up at me. A mischievous grin revealed itself within his expression,
making my heart stutter. “I see you already got started without me.”

I shrugged, going for innocence. “Liquid
courage and all…” I trailed off, realizing that was probably too honest of a
response.

His eyes shimmered, and the corner of
his mouth slightly twitched with humor. “Not a bad way to go,” he teased.

I had to laugh. “That’s what I thought.”

Playlist:My Review: 5 starsI really loved this latest addition to the Beautiful Series. Gail and Damon are attracted to each other even before Abbey tries to set them up as roommates. Initially, Gail doesn't want to have to try to fight her attraction for Damon, but gives in for purely financial reasons. Gail has been hurt before and she tries her best to hold back her attention and attraction from Damon. Damon can see and feel the attraction himself, and he wants Gail, and doesn't see any reason at all to hold back. I will say that things between them are pretty awesome. Damon does his best to be there for Gail in every way that he can. Reading about them building their relationship together is a beautiful thing. They are just perfect for each other. With every relationship there are challenges and things to overcome. I will only say that Gail and Damon do so fantastically, and this does have a happy ending. It's not easy to get that, but they do the right things. Alicia has written yet another fantastic book with amazing characters. I cannot wait for the next book in the series which is Blake and Audrey's story.

Ten Facts about “The Beautiful Series”

1.A Beautiful
Thought is a heartfelt story of finding love when you least expect it. Gail
came to me, struggling to find a way to continue helping her sister Caroline.
And throughout The Beautiful Series, Damon Johnson has always had this dominant
yet caring persona about him. He finds himself wanting to help Gail every step
of the way. What he doesn’t expect is the unexplainable pull he feels toward
her. Can Damon break through all the barriers Gail has so carefully placed
around her heart and prove that he’s different? Or will Gail’s reservations
keep her from falling in love? One thought could change everything.

2.Beautiful
Chances, My Beautiful, and Beautiful Dreams are the first three novels in the
series, all revolving around Kyle Madison and Lily Tidsdale. Lily came to me
instantly, but her heart was damaged and fragile. Kyle suddenly invaded my
thoughts, wanting to protect and comfort her in his possessive, overbearing
ways. He was perfect for my Lily. They complemented one another’s strengths and
weaknesses. Their story is one of healing a broken soul as the heart finds true
love, yet battles against the fear of loss.

3.Beautiful Ties is
a heartwarming, standalone novel of a woman, Abbey Madison, who builds a friendship
with a young, neighborhood girl, Pearl. Their friendship quickly blossoms into
a loving relationship. All the while, Abbey meets the man of her dreams, and
she finds herself being tested between balancing her love between Jason and
Pearl.

4.Blake Johnson,
Jason Johnson, and Damon Johnson are all brothers as well as cousin’s to Lily
Madison. Abbey Madison is Kyle’s younger sister.

5.The Beautiful
Series tells a story of a family growing alongside one another as each person
finds their own way in life. Will they each discover who they were meant to be
with in life?

6.Blake, Jason,
Damon, and Kyle form tight bonds in their friendships together as Lily, Abbey,
Gail, and Audrey also share the same fate.

7.Beautiful Chances
is based in Sanibel Island, FL. The rest of the series is based in Lake Tahoe,
CA.

8.Each of the
couples story can be read as a series or a standalone. As of now, there will be
six stories in The Beautiful Series. However, this may change J

“Beautiful Ties” – Book Four
– Jason & Abbey (Standalone)

~ From the bottom of my
heart, thank you for taking the time to read my novels,
and supporting me on this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy The Beautiful
Series as much as I love writing it. <3 Alicia Rae

About the Author

Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in
Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a
passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and
photography.

Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few
years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not
throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am
forever grateful. Xo

Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me
along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do
writing them. I thank each and every one of you.